Hamas: Palestinians will never recognize Israel

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Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh this week reiterated that the Palestinian Arabs as a whole will never recognize Israel's right to exist, and certainly not to exist as the Jewish state.

"We had two wars...but Palestinians did not and will not recognize Israel," Bethlehem-based news agency Ma'an quoted Haniyeh as saying as he welcomed a solidarity visit by international activists.

Why should anyone care what Hamas says at this point? That's certainly the line being taken by Washington and Europe, as they once again press Israel to make "peace" concessions to Hamas' rivals in the Palestinian Authority.

But what most have conveniently forgotten is that Haniyeh is prime minister and Hamas legally controls a majority in the Palestinian parliament because the Palestinian public voted the group into power.